Within the trucking industry, hauling of loose material in an open bed of a truck is quite common. This loose material can sometimes fall off of a truck and be hazardous to other vehicles, as well as to the truck itself. To that end, it is extremely valuable to be able to provide a cover assembly to efficiently cover and uncover the truck bed.
Typically, such a cover assembly includes a tarpaulin. The tarpaulin is supported on a series of bows, which slide along opposing rails or cables mounted at an edge of the hauling bed of the truck. Each bow has a mounting clamp at each end thereof in contact with the opposing support rails. The rails, the bows, the tarpaulin or other cover, and the mounting slide clamps form the cover assembly for the open bed of a truck.
This cover assembly operates in a harsh environment on the bed of a truck. A gravel pit is one area of a load for such a truck. Many farm uses are also available for such a truck. These areas of use create a harsh environment for the operation of the cover assembly. With this harsh environment, the cover assembly can malfunction.
A main area of malfunction for the cover assembly can occur with the mounting clamp and the bow itself are damaged. Sliding of the clamp along the rail is critical to the function of the cover assembly. As the mounting slide clamp receives the rail, that portion of the slide clamp, which receives the rail can be damaged and interfere with the proper sliding therealong. While it is desirable to avoid that problem, it is also desirable to solve that problem efficiently when it does occur.
Problems are also created when one or more of the bows become deformed. For the cover assembly to work properly, the bows in the tarpaulin must maintain their shapes. Use of the cover assembly or undue weight on top of the cover assembly can damage the cover assembly. Such undue weight can occur, for example, when a load is aimed for the bed of the truck with the bed covered by the cover assembly. More specifically, such action can deform one or more of the bows, as well as the clamps.
Therefore, it is desirable to repair or replace the bow clamp as efficiently as possible. With the additional requirement that the mounting slide clamp be strong and durable, so that the cover assembly can withstand those, above-described, harsh conditions; it becomes difficult to make the bow and mounting slide clamp easily replaceable or repairable.
Thus, it may be seen that all desired features of the bow replacement are hard to maximize, without compromising some of the other desired features. Compromises must be made, to provide a proper bow and an attached mounting clamp for a greatly simplified replacement. If such compromises can be minimized, a most desirable replacement bow slide clamp can be achieved.
Furthermore, repair time for the bow can be a problem. The faster a deformed bow can be replaced, the faster the vehicle can be put back in service.